Marsha Blackburn Supports President Trump’s Firing of FBI Director While Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander Hedge

Tennessee Star

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) gave her complete support of President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey, while both of Tennessee’s U.S. Senators, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) hedged in their official comments. Here is the reaction of these three Republican members of the Tennessee Congressional delegation to President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday. They made their comments in official press statements and on social media. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Republican: The FBI Director is entrusted to conduct business in an apolitical manner. What we have seen from Director Comey has been a breach of that trust and a politicization of the office. His removal from this office is warranted after his recent conduct in his position. Senator Bob Corker, Republican: While the case for removal of Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey laid out by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein was thorough, his removal at this particular time will raise questions. It is essential that ongoing investigations are fulsome and free of political interference until their completion, and it is imperative that President Trump nominate a well-respected and qualified individual to lead the bureau at this critical time. Senator Lamar Alexander,…

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Tennessee Democratic Congressmen React to Comey Firing

Tennessee Star

  Here is reaction from the only two Democratic members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation to President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday. They made their comments in official press statements and on social media. Rep. Jim Cooper, Democrat: The FBI is investigating Trump associates right now. This firing calls to mind the worst days of Nixon. It's time for a special prosecutor. https://t.co/Jx6VEvqFDH — Jim Cooper (@jimcoopertn) May 10, 2017 Rep. Steve Cohen, Democrat: I have said to my colleagues and to the public for over four months that FBI Director James Comey would do the right thing in the Trump-Russia investigation. I also believed President Trump wouldn’t fire him unless he felt that Director Comey threatened his presidency. This is sadly reminiscent of the Saturday Night Massacre when President Nixon fired Justice Department officials that threatened his presidency. Two days ago, I tweeted that I hoped Director Comey would be next year’s recipient of the Profiles in Courage Award because of the Trump-Russia investigation, but President Trump has effectively vetoed that award. I call on Speaker Paul Ryan to immediately appoint a bipartisan, non-classified, public, and transparent commission to investigate the Trump-Russia relationship. Our democracy is…

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FACT’S David Fowler: Religious Liberty Executive Order “A Good First Step”

The Family Action Council of Tennessee is calling President Trump’s signing of a religious liberty executive order on Thursday “a good first step.” But more is needed to shore up protections for people of faith, said FACT President David Fowler in a statement. Fowler said the executive order “addresses in a limited way the Johnson Amendment that has been used by the IRS to intimidate conservative ministers, but we call on the president to provide the leadership Congress needs to repeal it.” “We also join others in calling on the president to now take those additional steps necessary to fulfill the promise made during his campaign to fully protect religious liberty, particularly the liberty of those who believe in the sanctity of life and marriage,” Fowler said. Trump received widespread support from evangelicals in the November 2016 election and many have followed this issue closely to make sure he follows through on his campaign promise. In February, FACT joined with the Family Policy Alliance and its network of 40 state-based family policy councils in sending a letter to Trump asking him to reverse the tone set by the Obama administration. “We write to request that you firmly reject the systemic bullying…

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Congress Funds Health Research For Balance of FY 2017 Far in Excess of President Trump’s Budget Request

Congress expanded funding given to federal agencies President Donald Trump promised to gut by billions of dollars in the newly drafted bi-partisan legislation intended to keep the government from shutting down. The House Appropriations Committee released the 2017 fiscal Omnibus Appropriations bill Monday, a piece of legislation that keeps the government solvent through Sept. 30, 2017.…

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Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue Among Evangelicals In Trump Administration

Tennessee Star

  President Trump swept into office with a broad base of evangelical support and he has made sure that evangelicals find positions in his administration. Among them is former Republican governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue, who was sworn in as secretary of agriculture on Tuesday. A veterinarian by training, Perdue has a background in agribusiness and was a captain in the U.S. Air Force. Perdue has said he believes God has called him to his cabinet post. He is a member of Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Georgia, where his son Jim Perdue is the pastor and where he has served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher. The church plans to hold a worship service commissioning the elder Perdue and his wife Mary to their new field of service, Baptist Press reports. “When people ask him, ‘How can we pray for you?’ one of his first responses is, ‘Pray for my obedience.’ He wants to be obedient,” Jim Perdue told Baptist Press, adding that’s what he believes led his father to accept Trump’s nomination. When Perdue was nominated in January, rounding out Trump’s cabinet picks, Charisma News reflected on what once would have seemed an unlikely scenario. “Two years ago,…

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Commentary: Tax Reduction and Reform: President Trump Goes After The Swamp

Tennessee Star

by ConservativeHQ.com Staff Nothing embodies the Washington DC swamp better than the U.S. tax code: The Congressman and Senators who write it, the lobbyists who work to manipulate its arcane rules to benefit the inside few and the Internal Revenue Service that enforces it – or not – form one of Washington’s most fearsome iron triangles. And yesterday, President Donald Trump took them all on. The one-page outline for changes to the tax code the White House issued pinpointed numerous changes proposed by the President that would affect almost every American, and American business. The last major effort to successfully reform the U.S. tax code was over 30 years ago under President Reagan. The Reagan tax cuts and tax reform kicked-off two decades of economic growth, however, since then the supply-side economics underpinning the Reagan tax plan have been substantially eroded. Today, according to the IRS’ National Taxpayer Advocate, the federal tax code is nearly four million words long. Congress has made more than 5,900 changes to the federal tax code since 2001 alone, averaging more than one change a day. What’s more, with a corporate tax rate of 35%, US businesses face the highest statutory tax rate in the…

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United States Launches 59 Tomahawk Missiles at Syrian Chemical Weapons Base

  “The United States launched dozens of cruise missiles Thursday night at a Syrian airfield in response to what it believes was Syria’s use of banned chemical weapons that killed at least 100 people, U.S. military officials told NBC News,” the network reported late Thursday: Two U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea fired 59 Tomahawk missiles intended for a single target — Ash Sha’irat in Homs province in western Syria, the officials said. That’s the airfield from which the United States believes the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fired the banned weapons. There was no immediate word on casualties. U.S. officials told NBC News that people were not targeted and that aircraft and infrastructure at the site were hit, including the runway and gas fuel pumps. You can watch President Trump’s statement delivered moments ago about the attack here: Reaction from Congress was quick. “The U.S. and world community stood by as Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad brutally tortured and murdered more than 500,000 of his own people, and I applaud President Trump for taking decisive action following the latest chemical weapons attack,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) , the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, told CBS News. “It…

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Alex Joyner, Living Proof of Existence of College Republicans, Helped With Trump’s Visit To Nashville

Tennessee Star

  Republicans on college campuses might be an endangered species, but there is evidence that they do in fact exist. Alex Joyner, a junior political science major at the University of Tennessee-Martin, jumped at the chance to help out with President Trump’s visit to Nashville on March 15, according to an article in the student newspaper The Pacer. Joyner, who is president of the UT Martin College Republicans and serves as state chairman for the Tennessee College Republicans, was contacted by someone with the Trump administration to see if he would like to volunteer as a driver in the presidential motorcade. After clearing a background check, he was assigned to escorting Tennessee’s U.S. Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander to The Hermitage, where the president made a visit before his rally downtown. As they passed a pancake place, Joyner joked, “Y’all hungry, you want to stop?” to which Corker said in an aside to Alexander, “Well, senator, I see we have one with a personality!” Joyner said his respect for the president grew by seeing the thousands of people who turned out for a chance to hear Trump at his rally at the Municipal Auditorium. Not everyone was able to get…

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ACLJ Asking People to Sign Petition to Confirm Neil Gorsuch to Supreme Court

Tennessee Star

  The conservative American Center for Law and Justice is asking people to sign a petition in support of confirming Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. President Trump’s nominee is facing a Democratic filibuster and Republicans in the Senate are talking about using the so-called “nuclear option” to stop it. That would involve changing Senate rules so that a nominee can be confirmed with a majority vote instead of meeting a 60-vote threshold. This is the first time in history that a nominee to the Supreme Court has faced a partisan filibuster. “We must replace Justice Scalia with a staunch conservative,” the ACLJ says on its website. “The next Supreme Court justice will likely be the determinative vote on the most monumental issues of our time: abortion, religious liberty, national security, and free speech.” The left has launched “a scorched-earth campaign to defeat him,” according to the ACLJ. “They don’t want a proven conservative on the court.” Meanwhile, former President Obama’s group Organizing for Action is asking supporters to sign a petition to stop Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from changing the Senate rules to confirm Gorsuch. “This is a reckless tactic that could ruin the checks and balances…

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Commentary: War on Freedom Caucus is Really War With Trump’s Base

by Richard A Viguerie, CHQ Chairman Mr. President, Steve Bannon said at CPAC this February, “Hold us accountable for what we promised. Hold us accountable for delivering what we promised.” We knew Reince Priebus and Paul Ryan would not read the memo. Et tu, Mr. President? Your fit against the Freedom Caucus for not going along with supporting RyanCare certainly is not fooling the members of the Freedom Caucus. They have long been under attack by the GOP establishment for doing things like actually voting on bills consistent with their campaign promises. Going to war with the Freedom Caucus is going to war with your base. You have to decide, Mr. President, whether you will align yourself with the leaders of the swamp – or grassroots Americans. You are a branding mastermind, but siding with the Priebus-Ryan wing of the GOP is the defective, knock-off, cheap imitation of the product you claimed to be selling when you were campaigning. Declaring war on the Freedom Caucus for sticking to their ObamaCare promise in the face of GOP establishment attacks makes them heroes to us. People voted for you because they are fed up with politicians campaigning on promises that are broken…

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Commentary: Priebus And Ryan Hijack President Trump’s Twitter Account

ConservativeHQ.com Staff April 1, 2017 Make no mistake about what went on Thursday with the shocking tweet in which President Trump appeared to attack members of the Freedom Caucus, some of his earliest and staunchest supporters in Congress. It is not about a policy difference over getting rid of Obamacare – it is about White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and his home state buddy House Speaker Paul Ryan saving their jobs. Priebus is clearly out of his depth as White House Chief of Staff. His only real qualification for the job is his relationship with Speaker Ryan and after the Ryancare debacle in which the President was drawn into supporting a bill something like 100 members of the House Republican Conference were prepared to vote against Priebus’ job was on the line. And it still is. Same with Ryan. When the Ryancare – or RINOcare bill as we prefer to call it – blew up Washington was abuzz with the rumor that Ryan was on his way out as Speaker. Republican officials in Congress and the White House were openly discussing finding a GOP replacement to Paul Ryan as Speaker of the House, after Ryan failed to pass…

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Tennessee Not Among States Filing Amicus Brief In Support of President Trump’s Executive Order Banning Travel from Six Middle Eastern Countries

Thirteen states have joined together to file an amicus brief in support of President Trump’s travel ban, but Tennessee is not among them. The friend of the court brief was filed Monday in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It defends Trump’s revised Executive Order 13780 temporarily barring citizens of six Middle Eastern countries-Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Yemen and Libya-from entering the U.S, and temporarily stopping the arrival of refugees from any country. A spokesman for Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery told The Tennessee Star that “our office does not typically discuss legal strategy.” “This matter is in the very early stage of litigation and not joining an amicus brief is not necessarily an indication of lack of support,” said spokesman Harlow Sumerford. Signing the amicus brief were attorneys general from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and West Virginia. Gov. Phil Bryant of Mississippi also joined. Alabama and Texas have filed lawsuits against the federal government to end the resettlement of refugees in their states on grounds of failure to comply with the consultation clause of the Refugee Act of 1980. Earlier this month, Tennessee filed a lawsuit against the federal…

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Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith Among 100 Catholic and Evangelical Leaders Critical of Trump’s Plans to Cut Foreign Aid Funding

More than 100 Christian leaders from across the country have signed a letter asking Congress to protect funding for America’s foreign aid programs. The letter reveals divides among Christians over President Trump, whose plans continue to enjoy the support of many other Christians. The letter comes as Trump is proposing a 28 percent budget reduction for relief programs run by the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Trump’s budget for 2018 also calls for a 35 percent reduction in spending for the Department of the Treasury’s International Programs. Signers of the letter include Catholics and evangelical pastors, heads of faith organizations and recording artists and authors. Prominent names include Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. Both Dolan and Rodriguez spoke at Trump’s inauguration. Other signers include World Vision USA president Rich Stearns, former Southern Baptist Convention president Ronnie Floyd, Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford and Alec Hill, president emeritus of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Musical artists include Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Third Day. The letter noted that “many countries experience unparalleled suffering and loss of  life due to extreme poverty, disease, natural disasters and conflict.” “Matthew…

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Kentucky Set to Rally for President Trump in Louisville

Tennessee Star

  The Kentucky Exposition Center  is brimming with well-wishers and rally-goers, who have lined up in the thousands to see President Trump in Freedom Hall. Leading up to the actual event, Right Side Broadcasting Network is offering live coverage outside the venue. People are happy, enthused and making new friends while waiting for the President to arrive. The event is scheduled to begin at 3:30pm eastern time. Catch the RSBN livestream, here:        

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Snowflake Flurries Blown Away by Nashville’s Trump Supporters

  A little over one hundred protesters – mostly left wing “snowflakes” in their twenties – gathered in front of the television satellite trucks in front of the Nashville Municipal Auditorium on Wednesday as an estimated 10,000 supporters heard from President Trump inside. “There were a few protesters who were clearly trying to get the attention of the media, and the media was obliging them with more attention than their numbers deserved, ” one Trump supporter who was outside the Nashville Municipal Auditorium just before the event started told the The Tennessee Star. The Trump supporter said all the energy of the day was with the large pro-Trump crowd, not the few anti-Trump protesters. “In terms of crowd enthusiasm, the Trump rally was bigger than anything I’ve ever seen in Nashville,” he said. “This was a huge crowd that came out to support President Trump,” another person who attended the event said.  “Nashville saw nothing like it on the various occasions when President Obama came to town – and this is a Democrat-majority city. Supporters of President Trump vastly outnumbered the protesters. In a Democrat city.” But despite their best efforts, the protesters were largely ignored by the pro-Trump crowd. The…

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Kentucky Man Wants Fewer Snowflake Meltdowns, More Honest Debate

Michael Morton considers himself a cautious supporter of President Trump. There are some things he really likes about the president, but in other areas he has some doubts. His main mission in coming to Trump’s rally in Nashville on Wednesday was to draw attention to the way substantive discussions are being hindered by progressives who take offense easily and don’t want to engage in honest debate. “I’m trying to get people to open their minds,” said Morton, who was carrying a sign outside the Nashville Municipal Auditorium that took aim at “snowflakes” and people needing safe spaces. The 33-year-old Nashville native today lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he attends Western Kentucky University. He previously served in the army. He’s studying Chinese in hopes of using the language someday in a business or government position. Morton said he thinks Trump’s travel ban temporarily barring citizens from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. is reasonable, and he also likes that Trump champions the 2nd Amendment. He’s not so sure about Trump’s handling of the repeal of Obamacare. “I don’t know if he had a solid plan before he went in,” Morton said. For people to talk intelligently about the issues,…

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State Senator Mark Green Praises Fellow Tennesseans At Wednesday’s Trump Rally in Nashville

Tennessee Star

State Senator Mark Green, fresh off news that President Trump is considering him for Secretary of the Army, was greeted with applause and cheers Wednesday as he spoke before Trump’s arrival at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Green, who prior to being considered for a post in the Trump administration had announced intentions to run for governor in 2018, complemented Tennesseans for being “hard-working people with common sense” who did the right thing by voting for Trump overwhelmingly in the 2016 presidential race. “You just saved America,” he told the crowd. Green (R-Clarksville) said that Tennesseans want accountable and limited government, legal immigration, fewer regulations and a military committed to winning on the battlefield – all things President Trump is fighting for. Since Trump’s win, the stock market has reached historic highs and more people are going back to work, Green said, enthusiastically stating that “the Trump bump is real.” Green also said that Tennesseans are ready to repeal Obamacare but, like Trump in his speech, did not offer specifics on what a new plan should look like. Fierce debate over healthcare is under way in Washington, D.C., with many things still unclear as to what degree free market principles will…

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Man of the Hour Sean Spicer

Before President Trump arrived Wednesday evening at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, his press secretary Sean Spicer had his moment in the spotlight. And what a moment it was. Trump fans clamored for a spot at his side, eager for a chance to say hello and have a photo taken with him. Spicer could barely manage his way through the crowd, but he handled it all with a smile and gracious spirit that any Southerner could appreciate. The enthusiasm for Spicer was so great that Bloomberg News wrote an article about it, noting that while he is lampooned in liberal parts of the country, “in Nashville, Spicer was a bona fide celebrity.” The news outlet quoted Spicer as asking his fans, who praised him for standing up for Trump, “You guys want to come to a briefing?” Spicer, 45, previously worked as chief strategist and communications director for the Republican National Committee. Prior to that, he was assistant U.S. trade representative for media and public affairs under former President George W. Bush. Spicer has also served as an Easter Bunny at the White House Easter Egg Roll.

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President Trump At Nashville Rally Defends Executive Order Banning Travel From Six Middle Eastern Countries

Tennessee Star

President Trump in Nashville on Wednesday defended his revised travel ban, which earlier in the day was blocked by a federal judge in Hawaii. “We’re going to take our case as far as it needs to go, including all the way up to the Supreme Court,” Trump said during his speech at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. “We’re going to win. We’re going to keep our citizens safe.” The ban is part of an executive order issued March 6 that outlines measures to protect America from terrorists and others wishing to harm the U.S. The new order was released in response to a similar order from Jan. 27 that was blocked by a federal judge in Washington state and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Various changes were made to try to appease judges, but Wednesday’s ruling in Hawaii shows that hurdles still exist because of what Trump called “judicial overreach.” Among other revisions, the new order took Iraq off a list of seven Middle Eastern countries whose citizens are temporarily barred from entering the U.S. The revised executive order temporarily bans citizens of six Middle Eastern countries who do not currently have “green card” immigration status from entering the U.S.: Yemen, Sudan,…

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RIGHT NOW: Nashville Welcomes President Trump

Tennessee Star

  As the afternoon rolls on, an estimated 30,000 people are lined up to see President Trump speak tonight at 6:30pm. We have pictures coming in from the airport where Gov Haslam is waiting to welcome Air Force One, as well as in and around the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. UPDATE:       UPDATE:   UPDATE: First video from inside the venue…     Developing… – – – The Tennessee Star is on-the-ground now with RIGHT NOW coverage all day.    

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The Tennessee Star to Host RIGHT NOW Coverage of President Trump’s Visit to Nashville Wednesday, March 15

Tennessee Star

  President Trump is coming to Nashville next Wednesday, March 15, and The Tennessee Star will be there to cover all the pageantry, protesters, and most importantly, the president and “We the People.” This is going to be a large event, and we recognize that there might be moments we miss, and so we are excited to announce we have set up dedicated channels to receive pictures, video, reports, and recordings from YOU! We call it RIGHT NOW Coverage. Here’s what to do: – At the rally, use your smartphone to take a picture or short video – Text your picture/video to The Tennessee Star at 615-538-8526 – Include your name (first name, last initial) and your hometown – Also include a short description of your picture/video Optional: Email your picture/video and description to [email protected] Example: “Three generations of our family are here to support President Trump! ~ Sarah T., Franklin, TN” We will have staff standing by to post your pictures and reports live and in REAL TIME all day – from before the Nashville Municipal Auditorium opens until the last protester leaves (about 2pm – 10pm). If your haven’t already, get your tickets to attend the event here. We are…

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Former INS Agent Michael Cutler: Illegal Immigrants Should Be Fearful; People Demanding Enforcement Are Not Haters

Tennessee Star

Across the state and country, activists are calling for curbs on immigration enforcement because it’s making illegal immigrants fearful. But that’s the way it should be, says Michael Cutler, a nationally-recognized expert and retired senior special agent with the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). “You should be fearful if you break the law,” said Cutler in an interview Monday with The Tennessee Star. In Nashville, activists angered by President Trump’s enforcement plans have gone so far as to demand that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leave the city. Students at Vanderbilt have insisted that the university be a sanctuary campus and Metro Nashville Public Schools say they intend to make illegal immigrant students and their families feel safe. Cutler, who writes commentary on immigration issues, appears in TV interviews and hosts a show on Blog Talk Radio, said efforts to provide sanctuaries for illegal immigrants will make it harder for law enforcement to root out gangs, drug traffickers, terrorists and other criminals. Problems with crime and drug trafficking will worsen if immigration enforcers aren’t able to do their jobs, said Cutler, who blames loose borders for the reason “why heroin has never been cheaper and more plentiful.” Cutler said it…

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In Nashville, Leftist Immigration Activists Oppose Revised Travel Ban While President Trump’s Supporters Back It

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition is condemning President Trump’s executive order issued Monday, which TIRRC is calling “Muslim Ban 2.0.” The revised executive order, which revokes an executive order from January 27,  places a temporary 90-day ban on immigration from residents of six Middle Eastern countries (Syria, Sudan, Somalia,  Iran, Libya, and Yemen) whose Muslim populations total 167 million, or about ten percent of the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. President Trump’s plans to enforce immigration laws, fight terrorism and reduce refugee flows, however,  have broad support among his supporters who elected him to office in November. At Saturday’s large pro-Trump Spirit of America Rally in Nashville, there were signs reading “Close the Borders,” “Freedom Isn’t Free. Security. Law-Order. Sovereignty,” and “Veterans Before Refugees,” and several speakers vigorously supported the president’s plans for greater vetting and screening of all immigrants. In a news release, TIRRC acknowledged that the new executive order removes Iraq from the list of countries affected by the ban, Syrians will no longer be indefinitely banned but are subject to the same 120-day moratorium as other refugees, and green card holders will not be affected. “However, the intent and impact of this sweeping executive order remains…

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Letter to the Editor: Repeal Obamacare Now

Tennessee Star - Obamacare

Dear Tennessee Star, Obamacare continues to be a total disaster for families. Remember the famous saying, “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.” With President Trump in office and Republican control of Congress – it’s important that Congress moves to quickly repeal Obamacare. Our healthcare system is on the edge. Republicans must put forth a solid and complete replacement plan that goes along simultaneously with any repeal. Congress should work on patient-centered reforms that bring power back to the states and allows for a free market system. It’s also important that Congress ensure the repeal of the health insurance tax – which is a tax on healthcare premiums. The National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation found the health insurance tax will cost between 152,000 and 286,000 jobs by 2023, with 57 percent of those lost jobs represented in small businesses. A study by Oliver Wyman estimates that the health insurance tax results in an extra cost to small businesses of an average of $280 per employee per year and to individuals who purchase insurance coverage on their own of $220 per year. Thankfully, there is a bi-partisan bill by Representatives Kristi Noem and Kyrsten Sinema –…

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Conservative Firebrand Rebecca Ann Burke, Proud Deplorable and Ivanka Trump Fashionista

  Rebecca Ann Burke began her speech at Saturday’s Spirit of America Rally by addressing the crowd as “adorable deplorables” and announcing that she was wearing an Ivanka Trump sweater. She also said good morning in Russian, joking that the Russian ambassador told her to say that. The longtime Middle Tennessee conservative activist campaigned hard for President Trump, spending weeks in Florida knocking on doors and heading up a call center. “We have won an amazing battle, but the war is not over,” she said at Saturday’s rally. Burke described Trump as a “street fighter” and the “General Patton of our day.” She also credited grassroots conservative activists with turning social media into a “dangerous weapon” to get out their message and fluster the “withering, whining leftist movement.” She said there is still much for conservatives to do to combat the progressives who have held considerable influence in our culture and politics. “Our resistance is not over. It’s just beginning,” she said. “We need a full bench of battle-tested activists to replace career politicians.” Burke is known for her work for Sen. Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign. In 2008, she was named Williamson County Republican of the Year for developing a…

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Carol Swain at Pro-Trump Spirit of America Rally: Progressives Are Misleading Christians

  Conservative professor and author Carol Swain said at Saturday’s Spirit of America Rally that too many Christians are being misled into supporting a political party that doesn’t represent Christian values. Swain, a professor of law and political science at Vanderbilt University, said many Christians are being “duped” by the Democratic Party. She accused Democrats of obfuscation and hypocrisy in not caring enough about high rates of abortion among blacks and Hispanics, which she said is tantamount to “genocide” and would be called that if endorsed by conservatives. She also said some Christian religious and political leaders are advocating positions that reflect aspects of “socialism, Marxism and communism.” Swain said progressives are influencing the culture with “deception, lies and more deception.” Part of the problem, she said, is that people calling themselves Christians don’t have a deep understanding of biblical teachings and the gospel. “They’re just out there with a label.” Initially a supporter of Ted Cruz in the 2016 primary race, Swain later defended President Trump against attacks from Christian Never Trumpers. She said Saturday that she believes “the Lord’s hand was on this election,” referring to Trump’s victory in November, and that Christian conservatives can play a role…

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Mark Skoda: Congress Needs to Support Trump

Mark Skoda pulls no punches when talking about what he thinks progressives are doing to America. “I think what the left is doing is obscene,” he said in an interview with The Tennessee Star before Saturday’s Spirit of America Rally, which Skoda organized. Conservatives need to push back, but in the right way, he said. “It’s very easy to tear things down. We’re here to build things up in a way that reflects the values of most Americans.” Founder of the Memphis Tea Party and an internet radio host, Skoda is a longtime conservative. At age 18, he voted for President Nixon in 1972, the first time 18-year-olds could vote in a presidential election. Although he grew up in a Democratic family, Skoda at a young age began having doubts about the effectiveness of social welfare policies. He had started working full time for UPS while finishing high school, an experience that introduced him early to the adult world. Skoda credits President Trump with being able to adroitly communicate directly to the people through rallies, speeches and tweets, something Skoda hopes will continue throughout his presidency. Now it’s up to Congress to make sure that Trump is able to get…

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GatewayPundit’s Jim Hoft to Start Alternative Press Dinner to Honor ‘Real News’ Journalists

Tennessee Star - Spirit of America Rally

Gateway Pundit founder Jim Hoft announced at Saturday’s Spirit of America Rally that he plans to start an event to rival the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Hoft is dubbing his event “The Real News Correspondents’ Dinner” and said it will be held at the end of April across town from the traditional mainstream event in Washington, D.C. Hoft’s announcement was greeted with hearty applause by pro-Trump supporters attending the Nashville rally. Because of his tense relationship with the media which he says has been unfair to him, President Trump has declined to attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Hoft, who began his well-known grassroots conservative blog 12 years ago and was a friend of Andrew Breitbart, recently was granted a White House press pass for Gateway Pundit, a move that angered leftists. He said in his speech at Saturday’s rally that his White House correspondent has already had his speeches canceled at college campuses and had a reservation canceled with Airbnb because of his association with Gateway Pundit. “That’s what we’re dealing with folks,” Hoft said. “That’s the fascism.” He said such actions should alarm all fair-minded Americans, Republican and Democrat alike. In addition to speaking of his frustrations…

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Tom Zawistowski: Activist Judges Should Be Impeached

Many conservatives are critical of activist judges, but not enough are concerned that they’re committing impeachable offenses, says Ohio grassroots conservative activist Tom Zawistowski. In an interview with The Tennessee Star at Saturday’s Spirit of America Rally, Zawistowski said Congress has the authority to impeach federal judges who aren’t doing their jobs. While few judges have actually been impeached and convicted, it’s something the Constitution allows for and should be exercised when necessary, he said. “Their job is to interpret the law, not make law. They’re out of control,” he said. “An activist judge is like a pilot who is supposed to fly you from Nashville to Dallas but decides to fly the plane to San Francisco because they think San Francisco is a better destination for you.” Zawistowski said the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals was out of bounds in blocking President Trump’s ban restricting travel from seven Muslim-majority countries. Likewise, judges who have ruled in favor of gay marriage are making things up out of whole cloth, he said. “It’s based on their ideology,” he said. “That’s an impeachable offense.” Change won’t happen unless conservatives become better educated about the issues and the Constitution and take action, he…

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Steve Gill Encourages Conservatives to Take Action

Nashville attorney and political commentator Steve Gill told the crowd at Saturday’s Spirit of America Rally that all Americans, regardless of political party, should be concerned about the progressive drift in the U.S. For starters, Gill would like to see more unity behind the push for no higher taxes. He said Gov. Haslam’s plan to raise the tax on gas to fund road improvements is something that should be stopped. Frustration with tax hikes like this one is something that should resonate across various political factions, he said. Gill devoted much of his speech to concerns about Christian influence on culture and politics, which he has become more involved in through efforts to increase evangelical turnout at the polls. He is national chairman of Lift the Vote, a non-profit organization founded to encourage more Christian engagement in politics. The group was influential in persuading Christians to get out and vote in the 2016 election. “Christians turned out and the made the difference in this election,” he said, referring to President Trump’s success among evangelicals. But Christians need to keep up the pressure on politicians to ensure that the Senate confirms conservative Supreme Court picks, Gill said. Gill said conservatives need…

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Angry Protesters Hurl Obscenities at Trump Supporters

Tennessee Star

Protesters at Saturday’s pro-Trump Spirit of America Rally in Nashville railed against capitalism and the president’s immigration policies while showing support for Planned Parenthood and other leftist causes. The first protesters to arrive were the most radical. Many were dressed in black hoodies and jackets with kerchiefs covering the bottom portion of their faces. Waving signs reading “Resist and Replace Capitalism” and “Impeach President Bannon,” they spewed obscenity-filled tirades through bullhorns at people who came to the rally to support Trump. A young woman carried a sign cursing Trump in Spanish and a young man carrying a “Coexist” banner and wearing a “F*** Trump” t-shirt shouted vulgarities at women. “That’s craziness right there,” said Trump supporter Jeanette Coke, pointing at the protesters. “You’re looking at pure craziness.” The commotion caught two young women here for a weekend visit from Georgia off guard. They came across the protesters soon after arriving in town. “They need to put their diapers back on and put their pacifiers in and go back home,” said one of the women, who would only give her name as Sandy. “Whether you voted for him or not, he’s our president.” Numerous state troopers stood by a barricade separating the…

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